Sewing-machine



(Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. R, WHITEHILL.

SEWING MACHINE. Y No. 279,621. uw Patented June 19,1883.

(Model.) 3 sheets-sheet;r 2. R'. WHITEHILL.

SEWING MACHINE. N0. 279,621. Patented June 19,'1883.

(Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 3. R. WHITEHILL.

SEWINGl MACHINE. No. 279,621. Patented June 19,1883.

UNITED .STATES ROBERT VHITEHILL, OF

PATENT OFFICE.

MILXYAUKEE, VISCONSIN.

VtSEWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part'. of Letters Patent No. 279,621, dated June 19, 1883.

Application filed October 20, 188i'. (Model.) v

To all whom it may col/werk,.- y

Be it known that I, ROBERT XVHITEHILL, of Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, State of Visconsin, have invented an Improvement in l Sewing-Machines, of which the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention is an improvement on the class of sewing-machines represented in United States Patent Nos. 166,172 and 184, 938, granted to me.v In the Patent No. 166,172 the center of the needle-bar-operating c1ank-pin of the planetshaft is shown as located in the plane of the pitch-line of the gear attached to the said shaft. The location of the crank pin as shown in the said patent fails to afford as much dwell as is desirable when the shuttleis passing through the loop of needle-thread. To increase the dwell of the needle at the end. of its downward stroke, to afford more time for the passage of the shuttle through the loop of needle-thread, and at the same time enable the use ofalonger shuttle than heretofore used in the class ot' machines referred to, and also to impart as short a stroke as .possible to the needle-bar, I have arranged the said Vcrankpin so that it has a greater throw, and, as herein shown, I have placed the center line of the said crank-pin farther from the center of the planet-shaft than the pitch-line of the gear thereon, and such location of the said crank-pin constitutes one part of this present invention.

My invention also consists in the combination, with a split bushing for the planetshaft, of screws to both close the said bushing and to prevent it from being moved longitudinally, as will be described.

My invention also consists in the combination, with the needle-bar and a guide for its upper end, of a reciprocating connectingirod having one end attached to a crank-pin and its other end guided in ways, the said connect,L ing-rod having a-stud by which the needle bar is reciprocated. The devices referred to enabling the needle-bar to be driven without being twisted in its bearings, and being subjected to the strain only in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the needle-bar, the said bar may be made lighter or. of smaller diameter;

and having but one fixed guide, and that located at its upper end, the said bar may be made shorter,

My invention also consists in a take-up gear mounted upon an adjustable carrier, whereby the said wheel may be kept properly in contact with the rack-teeth which rotates it.

My invention also consists in the combination, with the main shaft provided with a longitudinal hole at its end anda rod having a beveled notch arranged in said hole, of a radially movable beveled locking-stud operated by said rod and adapt-ed to engage the interior ofthe hub of the band-wheel, as will be described, whereby the said band-wheel, ruiming directly on the main shaft, may be made fast to drive the machine, or be left to run loosely when it is desired to run bobbins, the arrangements ofthe parts being such that there will be no danger ot' the displacement and loss ofthe rocking rod and stud.

erating the shuttle-carrier in its race, the same including a crank and pitman having at its end a fixed disk or head which enters guideways parallel with the shuttle-race, the said disk both oscillating and reciprocating and holding the shuttle-carrier loosely.

My invention also relates to improvements in means for operating the usual four-motioned feeding device, and for regulating the length of stitch 5 also, to improvements in construction of the thread-guides, and to details of-mechanical construction, to be hereinafter specified and claimed at the end of this specication.

Figure 1 represents a broken side elevation of a sewing-machine embodying my improve` ments; Fig. 2, an under side view thereof, Fig. 3, a section on the dotted line x, Fig. 1, looking toward the left, a part of the frame-work being broken out to show the gear on the planet-shaft; Fig. 4, details of the shuttle-carrier tudinal sectional detail of the planet-hub, planet-shaft, and their connected parts, and the needle-bar-actuating crank-pin; Fig. 5, aseotion of Fig. 5 in line zul; Fig. 6, an elevation of only the front end of the machine; Fig. 7, a view in elevation of the front of the machine with the face-plate removed, the bed ofthe ma My invention also consists in means for opdetached from the machine; Fig, 5, a longi IOO chine being shown below it in section, the said.

4formed in the head of the machine.

figure also' showing parts of the mechanism for moving the shuttle and the feeding device, Fig. S, enlarged details of the blank for the thread-guide; Fig. 9, an enlarged section of the thread-guide; Fig. 10, sectional details of the needle-bar and means for holding and adjusting the needle; Fig. 11, a detail ofthe shank of the needle; Fig. 12, a section of Fig. 7 on the dotted line x2.

The frame-work A, of usual shape, has a main shaft, A, provided at one end with a fixed iiy-whecl, A2, and at its other end with the planet hub A, which .carries the planetlshaft A4. The planetshaft A* has its bearing in a 4split bushing, a., placed in a passage in the planethub, and the said hub has two adjusting-screws, n. a?, to bear by their ends againstthe said split bushing, shown in Fig. 5, to force the bushing closely in contact with the planet-shaft, and one of the said screws the one marked (1L-has a teat to enter a hole of Corresponding size in the said bushing to prevent the bushing moving longitudinally or rotating. The planetfgear a* is attached to the planet-shaft by a screw, 4f, after the same has been inserted through the planet-hub and split bushing, and the said bushing is made longer than the said hub, so that the crank and gear on the planet-shaft rest against opposite ends of the said bushing. The planet-shaft crank or disk 16, at its other or outer end, is provided with a needle-baractuating crank-pin, c, the center line of which, it will be noticed in Fig. 5, is at a greater distance from the center of the planet-'shaft than the pitch of the teeth of the gear a", such location of the said crank-pin beyond the are described by the pitch ofthe teeth of the said gear enabling me to give to the needle-bar c and its attached needle al a longer period of rest at the end of its downward stroke, whereby the shuttle which carries the usual under thread is allowed more time to enter and pass through the loop of needle-thread than were the center line ofthe said crank-pin only at the level oftheline of the pitch of th e planet-gear thereon, as in my former patent referred to. By placing the crank-pin farther from the center ofthe pl anet-sh ait than the pitch-line ofthe gear on the said shaft, which engages the stationary sun-gear B, I am enabled to produce a longer dwell in the needlebar when at the end of its descent. The greater the dwell when the needle-bar and needle are in their lowest position, the longer the time for the shuttle to enter and pass through the loop of needle-tl1read, and the longer may be the shuttle.

YAttached to the crank-pin at is the connecting-rod b', having its lower end, as herein shown, enlarged to form a head, b, (shown clearly in Figs. 7 and 12,) the said head having its edges entered into grooves or guideways The edges of the said head are shown as made V-shaped, and one of the V-shaped grooves Yby which the said head. is guided vis formed in a yielding part or wing, If', of the casting forming the arm-head A. Viewing Fig. 1, it will be seen that the part b referred to is separated from the main part of the arm-head by the slot If, and in Fig. 12 it will be noticed that the said part b is cast with a curve, a core having been used, leaving an open space, b, which permits the said part b3 to be sprung or moved as a lever by suitable screws. The screw b", passed through the part b, or adjustable wing of the guideway,77 as I shall call it, and screwed into the arm-head, as shown best in Fig. 1.2, enables the said wing to be forced inward to fit the head If" closely. rlhe screws bl, one above and the other below the screw b, and h. ving their ends placed against the fixed part of the arm-head, while their threaded shanks engage screw-threads in the wing, are employed to force the wing away from the fixed part of the arm-head, and by the employment of the said screws If bl, adapted to operate upon and move the said wing in opposite directions positively, the'said wing may be adjusted so that its inner grooved face will occupy a position parallel with the inner face of the opposite or fixed part of the said guideway in which the head b2 is reciprocated. This head b2, forming part of the connecting-rod b, has a stud, c, .which is extended loosely through the needle-bar c, and the upper end of the needle-bar is extended into the guide c, which is the only fixed guide employed for the said bar. A needle-bar held and reciprocatedin this manner is not subjected to other than longitudinal strain, and consequently may be made smaller in diameter, and by the employment of but one fixed guide it is possible to shorten the length of the needle-bar, thus reducing its weight and momentum.

The sun-gear B is fastened to the arm or framework Aby a screw, 18, (see Fig. 3,) and is made as a sleeve. The said sun-gear forms one bearing for the main shaft A@ The needle-bar, at one side, is provided with a series of teeth forming a rack, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7, to engage the teeth of and reciprocate the take-up gear c2, mounted on a stud, 2, inserted in a carrier, c, pivoted on a fixed part of the arm-head, and the said carrier is moved or adjusted by the screw in order to insure the proper meshing ofthe said gear and rack. rlhe take-up lever or arm c is attached to this gear and operates in my former patents. The needle-bar is split at its lower end for ashort distance upward. lts eXtreme end is tapered at 19, and above its tapered portions its cylindrical but reduced end is provided with screw-threads to receive ya screw-threaded nut, ci, having a tapering inner surface at its lower end to act against the tapering ends 19 of the split bar and cause the said ends to close upon and grasp the shank of the needle al, inserted into a longitudinal hole in the needle-bail and hold the needle iirmly in place.

. The upper end of theneedle-shank is notched IOO IIO

or shouldered, as at 5, Fig. 1l, to formv a fiat surface, 21,` against which acts the end of the needle-adjusting screw d to hold the needle in such position that the axis of its eye will point The vertical position- 7 attached to its other end by screws 7 5 but,A if desired, the said disk may be made as an iii-- tegral part thereof. The disk having its edges 2o beveled, as herein shown, is fitted to guideways in the walls d d', forming the raceway for the shuttle-carrier di. The wall d is acted upon by adjusting devices di, (shown as screws,) which act to keepV the said `walls and the edges of the said disk in proper contact, and afford means to take up any wearbetween them. As

the disk f becomes worn the screws 7 maybe taken out and the disk be turned partially around to present a new or unworn surface inv 3o the guide-grooves, when the said screws will be again inserted, but this time in other holes,

8, therein. (See Fig. 2.) The disk oscillates somewhat as it slides in the guideways of the walls d d. The shuttle-carrier d2 has a stem,

3 5 d?, which is inserted loosely into a hole made through a hub rising from the upper side of the disk at its center, (see Fig. 7,) and below .the said disk the said stem has applied to it a collar, d5, which is attached thereto by a set- 40 screw, 12. rIhe shuttle-carrier di travels in a straight line in its race, and as it is so moved its disk-Cn oscillates on the said stem. .The carrier d? has straight edges 22, which bear against the back wall of the shuttle-race, and to compensate for wear at such point I may, if desired, provide the said back wall with a gib.

The band-wheel c, placed directly on the main shaft A, is held thereto by a' radial stud,

5o e', carried by the said shaft, and having its lower end beveled to rest upon a correspondingly-beveled notch, e4, in alongitudinallyad justable screw or rod, e2, placed in alongitudinal opening drilled into the main shaft, asbest shown in Fig. 1, the said screw or rodhaving upon it a'nut, e", the end of which jams against the end of the main shaft, so that rotation of the said nut enables the said screw to be moved longitudinally. Vhen drawn outward the 6o beveled surface of the screw or rod, acting against the bevel of the stud e', forces the latter out in contactwith and holds the bandwheel securely upon the said shaft, and the forceexerted by the stud to hold the band- 6 5 wheel in place is directly at'right angles to the shaft, and is applied, it will be noticed, at or in a plane intersecting the axial center of the hub of the band-wheel, thus enabling the latter to be drawn squarely to the shaft.l The combination of the beveled notch e* in the screw-rod cL and the beveled stud c, as shown, effects the prevention of displacement or loss of the parts, since the notch is always in en,- gagelnent with the stud, and the two can only be disconnected by the removal of the bandwheel. Ihe band-wheel being placed directly upon the main shaft, rather than upon a hub of the'fly-wheel, will, when loosened, run more easily on and with less liability of turning the said shaft with it.`

' v The upright shaft G2 has upon it, above the crank C, a single eccentric, fi, which is embraced by an eccentric-strap of the feed-leverf, as described and shown in my Patent No. 184,938; but herein, instead of providing the said lever with a crook or compound cam for imparting the vert-i cal and forward 1n ovements to the feeddog, as therein described, I have joined to its end, by the screw 13, an ind'edepen dent crooked part,f, preferably made from steel. The part j", having the said crook, being a separate piece attached to the said lever by a screw, 13, enables me, by a mere change of the portio'nf, to effectually renew the feed-lever. This feedlever reciprocates in a guide-block, f swiveled in'one arm of aswivel-levenf, pivoted-to the bed at f4, another arm or part of the said swivel-lever having a pin or stud, 14, which enters a diagonal s lot or groove, 15, in a stitchregulating bar, f, or vice versa, fitted at its end to suitableguideways, and having connected with it a thumbnut, f, by which to adjust the said bar longitudinally according to the length of stitch desired, and to fasten the said bar in place. Ihe swivel-lever, as itis turned, moves the guide-block]c2 laterally instead of longitudinally, as similar swivel-blocks have heretofore been moved. It is a great desideratum ,to insure the backward movement of the feed-bar always to a certain point for all'lengths of stitch, and to move the feed-bar or device forward from such established point the distance desired for the stitch to be made, and by moving the guide-block laterally instead of longitudinally I am enabled to accomplish this desired object. Longitudinal IOO IIO

change of position of theguide-block changes the fulcrum of the lever f with relation'to its actuating-eccentric, and consequentlytheback ward position of the feed-bar varies at each variation of length of stitch. f

rIhe under side of the feed bar or device l1 has attached to it, by screw 71.',a small plate, l1?, which bears against the under side of the crooked part f of the feed-lever, thus obviating the formation of a completely-walled slot in the said feed-bar, as in my Patent No. 184, 938 referred to. i

The single eccentric t` referred to operates the feed-lever and its crooked end f so as to produce the upward, forward, and downward motionsof the feed-bar, a spring, t, producing the backward movement. 1

The presser-foot mf, carried by the presser- IZO Y harm', is pressed down by an adjustable spring,

on?, and may be lifted by the lever mi. Oil used in the arm-head of the machine will be caught in the drip-cup "n, attached thereto by the screws n.

The' needle-thread is led from the tension device T over the sheaves o, thence through the eye of the take-up lever, and over of, and through the wire-eye 02 to the eye of the needle.

The thread-guides containing the sheavesv 0 o are of peculiar construction, as I will now describe. The frame part of each of the said guides is composed of a piece of sheet metal cut to form the blank shown in Fig. 8. This blank has at one side, near one end, the depression p, to receive one end of the sheave, as represented in Fig. 9, so that the end of the sheave terminates in a plane back of 4the surrounding part of the frame part, to obviate the passage of thread between the sheave and frame part. rlhe blank at its left-han d end, as in Fig. S, has a hole, p, a slot, pf", and a projection, 1f. The metal of the blank about the hole jr', when the blank is folded, as shown, surrounds the outer end of the sheave, as in. Figs. l, 6, and 9. The projection is bent at right angles to the main part of the blank, and when the blank is folded the said projection extends to the opposite side of the blank under the sheave, as in Fig. 9. rIhe slot p serves for the passage of the thread about the sheave.

In the manufacture of my sewing-machines the bed is planed to form guides for the stitchregulating bar f 5, and bored to receive thel studf, and the bearings for the shaft C2 arey also bored, so these parts are established when the swivel -lever is put in place. the pin 14 and the connecting-pin 24 to be adjusted exactly into position to time thefeed, I. have split the swivel-lever, as -at 26, and made it to present two arms, and to these arms l. have addedY an adjusting-screw, 25, by which the arms of the swivel-lever maybe moved toward and from each other, such adjustment of the lever permitting wear of the feed-bar with., the partf ofthe feed-lever, to be compensated for, so that the feed must always be started at just the proper time with relation to the movement ofthe other parts of themachine.

I claiml. The shaft A, the planet-hub, the sungear, the planet-gear, and the planet-shaft, combined with the needle-bar-operating crankpin having its longitudinal center at a greater distance from thc center of the planet-gear than the pitch-line of the planet-gear, to increase the dwell of the needle-bar, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The planet hub, the split bushing inserted therein, and the planet-shaft placed in the said bushing, combined with the screws to close the said bushing upon the said shaft, one of said screws having a teat tov positively engage and thereby prevent the` longitudinal movement of the bushing, as set forth.

To enable 3. The planet-hub and the bushing inserted ytherein with its ends extended beyond lthe .planet-hub, combined with the planet-shaft the arm-head provided with a guide for the .needle-bar and with guideways for one end of the connecting-rod, to enable thev same to `be operated as and for the purpose described.

, 5. .Fheneedle-barconnecting-rod,the crank- Qpin, the planet-shaft, planet-gear, planet-hub,

the main shaft, the sun-gear, the needle-bar, and a guide for it, combined with the armhead and. a. guide for the lower end of the said connecting-rod, substantially as shown and described.

6. The needle-bar connecting-rod, means to move it, and the arm-head provided with the wing and guideways for the lower end of the said connecting-rod, combined with means to adjust the said wing to maintain in proper position the guideways for the .connecting-rod, substantially as described.

7. The needle-bar and its rack-teeth, combined with the take-up gear c?, its carrier, and

1 means to adjust the said carrier, as described, to insureproper mesh of the said gear and rack-teeth, as set forth.

8. The needle-bar anda guide for its upper end, combined with a connecting-rod having a stud entered through a transverse hole in the needle-bar, and with means to guide and reciprocate the said connecting -rod, as set forth.

9. The longitudinally-bored shaft A and 'placemcnt or loss, and to move saidstud to bind orloosenfthe band-wheel on its shaft, and the nut e, engaging a screw-thread on said rod c2 to effect the movement of the stud, substantially as shown and described.

10. rlhe shuttle-moving crank, the pitman, and its connected disk, combined with the shuttlecarrier and with the raeeway and gui des for the said disk, substantially as described.

l1.v rIhe shuttle raceway, the disk fitted therein, and the connected pitman to reciprocate the said disk, combined with the shuttlecarrier held loosely in the said disk, as and for the purposes set forth.

l2. rlhe guideways and the pitman combined with the disk C, adjustably attached to the said pitman, whereby it may be turned about its center to bring an unworn part of the disk into the grooves ofthe guideways, substantially as described.

13. The shuttle-race and its guides and the shuttle-carrier and disk, combined with screws `to force one wall of the guideway toward its opposite wall, as and for the purposes set forth.

IOO

IIO

14. The feed-lever fand the single eccentric to move it, as described and the feed-bar slotted to receive the crooked end of the said lever,

combined with the swiveling guide and means 5 to move it and the feed-lever laterally, substantially as described. y

15. The feed lever f and its detachable crooked end f', combined with the feed-bar into which the said crooked end f enters, as

1o and for the purposes set forth.

16. rlhe eccentric t2, the feed-lever f, operated by it, the feed-bar, and the swiveling block, combined With a lever 'to move the sWi'veling block and Withmeans to move the said lever, 15 substantially as described.

17. The feed-levervand swiveling` block and lever f3, combined with :the stitch-regulating bar and a pin-and-slot connection between them to move the said lever f", substantially 2o as described.

18. The threadguide composed of the sheave o and metal frame, formed from a block shaped device, and a screw to change the distance of the pins 14 and 24 from each other, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name 35 to this specification in the presence of two subsoribingwitnesses. v n

ROBERT WHITEHILL. Witnesses G. XV. GREGORY, B. J. NoYEs. 

